Furness Viking Hoard
Viking treasure unearthed by a metal detectorist
"...fascinating Viking
hoard...." Dr Gareth Williams, British Museum
In Easter 2011 a locally-based metal detectorist made a
very unexpected find: Viking
treasure.
It is the first time that a significant
amount of valuable Viking booty has been recovered from the Furness
soil that indisputably links the area with the Norse mariners, and
local history stands to be re-written as a result.
The 92 silver coins
and artefacts – among them ingots and one near-complete silver
bracelet – have been examined by the British Museum. It is
thought that the silver was put into the ground sometime around 955
AD when the Viking invaders had established footholds in the north
of England.
Stone Axe, Blood Axe, Conquest Gallery Now Open
After a year of fundraising for a Viking gallery it opened
in February 2013.
We explore the history of humans in Cumbria, starting with
exciting cave finds, fabulous objects from the Bronze and Iron Age,
then the Furness Hoard and finally the Norman
conquest.
All welcome and free admission. We are open from
11-4pm.
Furness Hoard
While the size of the Furness stash is much
smaller than the 10th century Vale of York Hoard which was found
undisturbed near Harrogate in 2007, it is by far the largest amount
of Viking treasure ever found in this area.
The hoard has been purchased by the Dock
Museum and Curator Sabine Skae described it as “very exciting
for Furness.” It is on display in the museum.
Dr Gareth Williams, Viking expert at the British Museum,
said:
“By the mid-950s, most of
England had become integrated into a single kingdom, with a
regulated coinage, but this part of the north-west was not
integrated into the English kingdom until much later, and the hoard
reflects that.
“It’s a good reminder of how much finds like
this can tell us about the history of different parts of the
country.